> Folk Music > Songs > Never Turning Back

Never Turning Back

[Pat Humphries]

Score

Pat Humphries composed Never Turning Back at a songwriting workshop. Still popular, it became an unofficial theme song of the UN Fourth Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. She sang it on her 1992 album Same Rain. She noted:

The mantra that got me to Si Kahn’s songwriting class was “You can’t turn back”. So when he gave us two minutes to write a song, that’s what came out. This is my first song. Thanks Si!

Judy Small sang Never Turning Back on her 1985 album One Voice in the Crowd.

Coven sang Never Turning Back in a live recording on their 2017 EP Unholy Choir. Their lyrics are “adapted by Rowan Rheingans, based on the version sung by Judy Small”.

Lyrics

Pat Humphries sings Never Turning Back

Gonna keep on walking forward
Keep on walking forward
Keep on walking forward
Never turning back
Never turning back

Gonna keep on walking proudly
Keep on walking proudly
Keep on walking proudly
Never turning back
Never turning back

Gonna keep on singing loudly
Keep on singing loudly
Keep on singing loudly
Never turning back
Never turning back

Gonna keep on loving boldly
Keep on loving boldly
Keep on loving boldly
Never turning back
Never turning back

Gonna reach across our borders
Reach across our borders
Reach across our borders
Never turning back
Never turning back

Gonna keep on moving forward
Keep on moving forward
Keep on moving forward
Never turning back
Never turning back

Coven sing Never Turning Back

Gonna keep on walking forward
Keep on walking forward
Keep on walking forward
Never turning back
Never turning back

Gonna keep on walking proudly
Keep on walking proudly
Keep on walking proudly
Never turning back
Never turning back

Gonna keep on singing loudly
Keep on singing loudly
Keep on singing loudly
Never turning back
Never turning back

Gonna keep on loving boldly
Keep on loving boldly
Keep on loving boldly
Never turning back
Never turning back

Gonna keep on walking forward
Keep on walking forward
Keep on walking forward
Never turning back
Never turning back